Tag: The Star

PKR Bakal ‘Hukum’ Azmin?

Belum reda kejutan tentang majoriti 15 ribu, yang dimenangi BN dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil P165 Tanjung Piai, timbul pula kejutan baharu.

Belum reda kejutan tentang majoriti 15 ribu, yang dimenangi BN dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil P165 Tanjung Piai, timbul pula kejutan baharu.

Hari ini, berita tentang perjumpaan Datuk Seri Azmin Ali besama beberapa orang Ahli Parlimen UMNO di kediaman beliau semalam telah menjadi topik panas hari ini.

Berita ini mendapat berbagai reaksi daripada pemimpin-pemimpin utama PKR termasuk presidennya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Akhbar The Star di bawah tajuk, “Anwar: Azmin will be told to explain himself” melaporkan bahawa Azin telah diminta supaya memberi penjelasan tentang perkara tersebut.

Akhbar-akbar utama melaporkan bahawa satu pertemuan lain di antara Timbalan Presiden PKR dan Ahli-Ahli Parimen BN pada petang ini telah diatur.

[The Star}- KUALA LUMPUR: PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has been told to give an explanation over a meeting with several Umno lawmakers held at his official residence, says his party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Surely we will ask for his explanation. It has created a lot of questions from our partners so he should come forward to give his side (of the story), ” said Anwar.

Azmin reportedly met with 22 Umno MPs, including former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, at his house in Putrajaya late Monday (Nov 18).

Anwar also told Azmin to attend the PKR’s political bureau meeting on Wednesday (Nov 20).

Asked on what capacity Azmin met with the opposition lawmakers, Anwar said that he was unsure.

“That is why we want his explanation whether it is representing the government or party.

“If it based on his capacity as the government, why weren’t other lawmakers invited?” Anwar said at the Parliament lobby on Tuesday (Nov 19).

Pressed if the meeting was appropriate after Pakatan Harapan’s loss in the recent Tanjung Piai by-election, Anwar said, “Sometimes our friends do not learn from our experience like the huge defeat in Tanjung Piai”.

On the outcome of the Tanjung Piai-by election, Anwar said the Pakatan presidential council will meet on Saturday (Nov 23) to discuss the matter.

The Tanjung Piai by-election saw Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng from MCA win with an overwhelming 15,086-vote majority.

Wee, a former two-term Tanjung Piai MP, garnered a total of 25,466 votes against Pakatan candidate Karmaine Sardini who obtained 10,380 votes; Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam (1,707), followed by Datuk Dr Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz of Berjasa (850) and two independents, Dr Ang Chuan Lock (380) and Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar (32).

Rencana berkaitan:


Apakah Reaksi Ahli-Ahli Parlimen Ini Terhadap Cadangan Tun M?

Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad baru-baru ini mengajak semua orang Melayu menyertai partinya, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).

Alasan beliau ialah untuk menyatukan orang Melayu di bawah satu parti politik, bagi menguatkan kuasa politik Melayu.

Dua persoalan utama bermain di fikiran saya:

  1. Apakah pelawaan ini hanya ditujukan kepada orang Melayu daripada parti-parti pembangkang atau meliputi semua orang Melayu termasuk ahli parti-parti komponen kerajaan?
  2. Apakah respons pemimpin parti komponen Pakatan Harapan tentang usul ini?

Cadangan Tun telah disambut baik dan disokong oleh para peminpin PPBM dan saya menunggu respons daripada pemimpin parti-parti lain yang menganggotai Pakatan Harapan.

Menurut Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail seperti yang dilaporkan The Star Online, tindakan Tun adalah untuk menambah keahlian parti dan memperkukuhkan kuasa politik.

Beliau juga berkata PAS dan UMNO telah menyatakan mereka tidak berminat untuk menyertai parti Tun.

The Star Online turut melaporkan kenyataan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan, YB Khalid Samad bahawa usaha untuk menyatukan orang Melayu di bawah satu payung parti politik bukanlah satu tugasan yang mudah, dan oleh kerana orang Melayu mempunyai banyak aliran pemikiran, maka satu parti politik bagi seluruh rakyat berbangsa Melayu adalah tidak mencukupi.

Setiausaha Agung DAP yang juga Menteri Kewangan, YB Lim Guan Eng pula bertindak mengingatkan Tun Mahathir tentang perjanjian mereka untuk tidak menerima ahli-ahli UMNO yang dikatakan sebagai ‘korup’, untuk menjadi ahli mana-mana parti politik Pakatan Harapan.

Free Malaysia Today pula melaporkan respons Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tentang perkara ini.

Presiden PKR itu, yang merupakan perdana menteri pilihan Pakatan Harapan (PH) bagi menggantikan Mahathir berkata, sebagai pengerusi PPBM beliau berhak membuat gesaan itu, tetapi isu tersebut akan dibincangkan oleh pimpinan tertinggi gabungan kerajaan itu dalam pertemuan mereka.

Free Malaysia Today (Terserah kepada Dr M buat seruan ‘perpaduan Melayu’ kepada Umno, kata Anwar)

Jauh panggang dari api, itulah yang menggambarkan respons pemimpin parti-parti pembangkang yang sudah tentu tidak akan dapat menerima cadangan Tun ini.

Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi telah mempertegaskan bahawa orang Melayu tidak perlu PPBM, kerana agenda ta’awun siyasi UMNO dan PAS sudahpun cukup bagi orang Melayu kerana itu yang lebih penting bagi umat Islam.

The Star Online juga melaporkan kenyataan Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong bahawa beliau tidak terkejut dengan cadangan Tun dan berkata ini ialah satu strategi Tun untuk menjadikan PPBM sebagai parti yang terbesar di dalam Pakatan Harapan supaya mereka boleh mempertahankan jawatan Perdana Menteri.

Daripada laporan akhbar, pelawaan Tun secara umumnya gagal mendapat sokongan daripada pemimpin- pemimpin parti lain, termasuklah pemimpin parti-parti komponen kerajaan sendiri.

Namun disebalik berbagai kritikan dan penolakan, tiba-tiba muncul seorang Ahli Parlimen pembangkang yang membawa pandangan yang berbeza.

Bagi Ahli Parlimen Rembau, YB Khairy Jamaluddin, UMNO sepatutnya mempertimbangkan dengan serius untuk bersama PPBM, dan berpendapat bahawa Tun mempunyai asas dalam dalam membuat cadangan itu.

The Star Online menulis:

Umno should give serious thought to the invitation to join hands with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), says Rembau MP, Khairy Jamaluddin.
“Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is worried that Malay politics is too fractured, which is correct. 
“I know a lot of people dismissed what he said yesterday (July 5). I think that’s a bit arrogant.
“I think he is coming with the right motivation. 

The Star Online (“Don’t dismiss Dr M’s invitation to join Bersatu, Khairy tells Umno”)

Bagi saya, saya bersetuju dengan Tun Dr Mahathir bahawa orang Melayu mesti bersatu untuk memperkukuhkan kuasa politik Melayu, namun penyatuan Melayu mestilah berlandaskan prinsip yang dipersetujui dan dipersepakati oleh semua orang Melayu dan parti Melayu di negara ini.

Bulat air kerana pembetung, bulat manusia kerana muafakat; elok kata dalam muafakat, buruk kata di luar muafakat.

Mesej yang saya rasa cuba disampaikan oleh YB Khalid Samad bahawa tidak semua orang Melayu bersetuju dengan pendirian PPBM banyak kebenarannya dan merupakan satu cabaran kepada hasrat Tun yang mahukan semua orang Melayu bernaung di bawah payung PPBM.

Provokasi Siti Kasim Terhadap Melayu dan Islam

Jangan menjadi seperti kacang lupakan kulit. Walau apa pun Puan Zabedah mesti sedar yang beliau telah mengambil manafaat daripada kedudukan istimewa Melayu yang lantang dihinanya.

“And religion is not an economic contributor. It is an unproductive consumer of epic proportions with no returns.” (Dan agama bukanlah penyumbang kepada ekonomi. Ia (hanyalah) pengguna tidak produktif yang besar (tetapi) tanpa pulangan). Itulah diantara apa yang telah ditulis oleh aktivis liberal Siti Zabedah Kasim tentang agama Islam di dalam artikel bertajuk “The real Malay dilemma”, di kolumnya dalam akhbar The Star pada 26hb Ogos, 2018. Artikel tersebut memperlihatkan pemikirannya yang menentang dan menghina dasar pemerkasaan Islam dan Melayu di Malaysia. Zabedah menuduh ianya penyebab kepada kemunduran kaum Melayu yang didakwanya hidup dengan bantuan kerajaan (to live off the teats of the Government), kurang menyumbang kepada ekonomi negara dan menjadi ‘pengguna’ hasil cukai kaum minoriti (consumers of tax from the minorities). Jelasnya Zabedah telah menghina kaum Melayu seolah-olah kaum Melayu (kecuali golongan liberal) tidak menyumbang kepada pembangunan ekonomi negara. Hakikatnya, walaupun kuasa ekonomi bukan di tangan Melayu tetapi petani dan nelayan kecil Melayu juga adalah penyumbang kepada ekonomi negara, malah memberi sumber pendapatan kepada orang tengah dan pengilang yang kaya raya. Malah nilai perbelanjaan domestik orang Melayu telah mengayakan minoriti yang dibanggakan Zabedah. Apakah perbelanjaan domestik tidak menyumbang kepada ekonomi negara? Zabedah berhujah bahawa agama Islam tidak perlu dipertahanan ataupun diinstitusikan, kerana Islam dan Tuhan tidak perlukan apa-apa atau “Islam and God has no need for anything”.
“Islam does not need protection, nor does it need to be institutionalised. As a Muslim, I believe in God Almighty. His religion does not need anyone’s help, least of all from fallible human beings. Islam and God has no need for anything, but human beings do. No one represents Islam.”
Inilah pendapat golongan liberal yang tidak mahu di berada di bawah undang-undang Islam serta menentang Islam diperkasakan. Zabedah mungkin lupa bagaimana para Nabi dan Rasul berusaha untuk menegakkan dan memuliakan agama Allah dan tidak pernah berpeluk tubuh dengan alasan, “His religion does not need anyone’s help” ataupun  agama Allah tidak perlu pertolongan dari sesiapa. Kita harus ingat firman Allah di dalam ayat 13 Surah As-Syura:
Tegakkanlah pendirian ugama, dan janganlah kamu berpecah belah atau berselisihan pada dasarnya ~Surah As-Syura [42:13] | Al-Quran.

Zabedah kemudian mengulas:

“In Malaysia today, we are obsessed with religion. Politicians and Ministers talk about religion and upholding religion. We have dedicated channels and programmes on religion on mainstream TV. Teachers force their religion and religious interpretations on children. Even the technical department, JKR (Public Works Department) for example, has set up sign boards espousing religious thoughts. Ever go to civil service offices? Observe just how many religious seminar banners and thoughts are plastered all over these places. Sometimes I wonder whether these are public services departments or religious propaganda functionaries.”
Perlembagaan Persekutuan dengan jelas mengangkat Islam sebagai agama bagi Persekutuan. Ini bermakna Malaysia ialah sebuah negara Islam. Maka, adalah menjadi satu kewajipan keperlembagaan bagi kerajaan Malaysia untuk menegakkan Islam pada setiap masa termasuk di jabatan kerajaan, di sekolah-sekolah kerajaan, malah di mana sahaja selaras dengan Sumpah Jawatan Yang di Pertuan Agong seperti yang tercatat di dalam Jadual Keempat Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Jelas Zabedah adalah pejuang dasar sekular yang mahu memisahkan agama daripada kerajaan dan tidak senang dengan adanya nilai Islam dan usaha memperkasakan Islam di jabatan kerajaan dan usaha kerajaan untuk mendaulatkan Islam sebagai agama negara. Zabedah lantas mempersoalkan kebergantungan umat Islam kepada agamanya, bertanya apakah itu satu-satunya nilai harga diri umat Islam dan apakah tidak ada lagi nilai lain pada umat Islam untuk menambah baik mutu kerja dan perkhidmatan selain (nilai) agamanya?

“Why this parade of religion in the public sphere? Is it because our people obsess on religion, as they personally have got nothing else of substance to promote that would enhance their work and the lives of the people they serve? Or that they have to cling to religion as that is their one and only part of their lives that provide them any sense of self-worth?”

Jawapannya mudah, Islam ialah satu cara hidup lengkap yang merangkumi seluruh kehidupan umatnya dan itulah harga diri kita; dan sudah semestinya umat Islam bergantung kepada Allah pada setiap masa dan tidak ada nilai yang lebih baik selain daripada nilai Islam di dalam apa sahaja yang kita lakukan. Malangnya golongan liberal itulah yang gagal menghayati pentingnya nilai Islam. Apakah Zabedah mahu mempersoalkan hukum menutup aurat dalam Islam sedangkan umat Islam wajib mematuhi hukum Allah, dan wanita Islam wajib bertudung dan menutup aurat?
“Today, our Malay society has become a society so religiously judgemental that the sight of a woman without head-cover is practically blasphemous.”

Seterusnya, Zabedah menghina masyarakat Melayu yang membiayai sekolah agama dan pusat Tahfiz sebagai “insular and superstitious in thought” atau perfikiran sempit dan percaya kepada perkara karut, dan menyoal apakah pelajarnya boleh bersaing dengan rakyat bukan Islam (Malaysian non-Muslim population)?

“Can a Malay society, more insular and superstitious in thought, that is now funding thousands of religious schools and Tahfiz centres/boarding houses than ever before in its history, create a population that is competitive to succeed in the 21st century? Can it even compete on a fair footing with the rest of the Malaysian non-Muslim population?”
Zabedah mungkin terlepas pandang bahawa Al-Quran mampu merungkai segala disiplin ilmu, cuma akal manusia biasa adalah terbatas dan tidak terdaya untuk mengkaji dan memahami segala perkara yang tertulis di dalam Al-Quran. Tokoh cendekiawan Islam seperti Al-Khwarizmi iaitu Bapa Algebra, Al-Zahrawi yang mempelopori bidang pembedahan, Jabir ibn Haiyan iaitu Bapa Kimia, Al-Haytham iaitu Bapa Optik Moden, Ibnu Battuta, Ibnu Khaldun, Al-Biruni, Ibnu Sina, Al-Khindi adalah hasil daripada sistem pendidikan Islam. Malah tulisan mereka telah diterjemahkan kepada berbagai bahasa lain seperti Bahasa Inggeris dan sebagainya. Ibarat meludah ke langit, terpalit ke muka sendiri! Lucunya apabila Zabedah mempersoalkan hasil daripada tempat yang diberikan kepada kaum Melayu di universiti, GLC dan jabatan kerajaan serta membuat kesimpulan sendiri bahawa itulah penyebab universiti tidak kompetitif dan ramai graduan Melayu yang tidak mendapat pekerjaan yang mana mereka diserap ke dalam perkhidmatan awam dan GLC, mengatakannya satu pentadbiran rasuah (such corrupt administrations).
“Malays have been given preferential places in universities, GLCs and the civil service for more than 40 years now, what have we got to show for it? Uncompetitive universities, a significant pool of unemployable Malay graduates and with most being employed by the civil service and the failed GLCs, and such corrupt administrations that a 93- year-old man has to come back to be the Prime Minister, that’s what.”
Lantang menyerang hak Melayu, Zabedah mungkin telah lupa yang beliau pernah belajar di ITM (kini UITM), sebuah pusat pengajian tinggi awam untuk kaum Melayu dan Bumiputra dan beliau sendiri berpeluang mendapat pendidikan di situ kerana menikmati kedudukan istimewa Melayu yang kini dihinanya. Zabedah juga menyoal;
  1. “Would more religion help? Or would it make the population less competitive?”
  2. “Would any of the Malay leadership be willing to change its society from a religious centric one to one that is progressive and modern in character?”
  3. “Do you want our Malay society to continue to regress and be uncompetitive? Do you want it to drag the rest of us down the road of conservatism and economic ruin?”
Jawapan saya:
  1. Mendakwa bahawa Islam menjadikan umatnya kurang produktif adalah satu fitnah terhadap ajaran Islam. Saya faham kalau tuduhan ini dibuat oleh orang bukan Islam tetapi agak pelik bila ianya dibuat oleh orang Islam sendiri yang sepatutnya faham tentang ajaran Islam.
  2. Kepada soalan penulis yang menyoal  jika ada pemimpin Melayu yang sanggup meliberalkan umat Islam (to change its society from a religious centric one to one that is progressive and modern in character), Nauzubillahiminzalik.
  3. Tidak adil menuduh menginstitusikan Islam sebagai penyebab masyarakat Melayu mundur dan tidak produktif tanpa bukti kukuh.
Nampaknya Zabedah berpendapat untuk maju dan produktif, orang Melayu mesti menjadi liberal dan membelakangkan agama dan perintah Allah. Beliau percaya adanya nilai yang lebih penting dari nilai Islam untuk kemajuan masyarakat Melayu. Saya merasakan Puan Zabedah amat keliru tentang ajaran dan hukum Islam serta tanggung jawab kaum Melayu di negara kita. Malaysia adalah sebuah negara Islam dan Perkara 160(2) Perlembagaan Persekutuan mendefinasikan orang Melayu antara lainnya sebagai mestilah beragama Islam. Oleh itu sebagai umat Islam, adalah menjadi tanggung jawab orang Melayu untuk memelihara dan memperkasakan agama Islam di Tanah Melayu. Membuat pelbagai tuduhan tanpa bukti yang kukuh adalah tidak bijak. Zabedah sepatutnya belajar sejarah negara untuk memahami sebab sebenar kaum Melayu ketinggalan dari segi ekonomi. British telah memaksa ramai orang Melayu yang asalnya ‘orang laut’ dan peniaga di bandar menjadi petani di luar bandar. Peluang pendidikan dan perniagaan yang amat terhad di luar bandar pada zaman itu mengakibatkan orang Melayu tidak dapat bersaing dengan kaum minoriti yang tinggal di bandar. Inilah sebab kemunduran Melayu dan sudah tentu 40 tahun tidak mencukupi untuk membetulkan kerosakan yang telah berlaku dalam jangka masa yang jauh lebih lama daripada itu. Jangan menjadi seperti kacang lupakan kulit. Walau apa pun Puan Zabedah mesti sedar yang beliau telah mengambil manafaat daripada kedudukan istimewa Melayu yang lantang dihinanya. Juga janganlah ibarat menggigit tangan yang memberi makan. Saya amat hairan apakah asas kemarahan Zabedah sebenarnya. Namun menariknya Zabedah juga mengaitkan persoalan ini dengan politik. Pada Zabedah, kaum bukan Melayu dan Melayu liberal adalah masyarakat progresif dan merekalah yang memenangkan Pakatan Harapan.
“A progressive leadership will only be elected by a progressive society. The only reason the Pakatan Harapan government was elected was because the progressive societies of the non-Malays and the liberal Malay voted for it.”
Kita harus sedar bahawa ideologi liberal dan sekular yang diperjuangkan golongan liberal ini menjadi ancaman terhadap kedaulatan Islam di negara kita. Kita tidak mahu umat Islam terpesong akidahnya dan hidup bebas tanpa pegangan agama yang kukuh. Kejayaan sebenarnya ialah kejayaan yang diredhai dan diberkati Allah S.W.T.

“Islam itu tinggi dan tiada yang melebihi ketinggiannya…” ~Hadis Riwayat ad-Daruquthni: 3564 Hasan

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Mahathir Gets Caustic About People’s Rejection of New National Car Suggestion

Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir is disappointed and sad about the people’s rejection to his infamous new national car project.

Will he succeed in pushing his dream to see a second national car project come true?

After all Tun Dr. Mahathir is a fighter and will never give up easily.

Let us wait and see the reactions from other PH’s leaders regarding this matter.

[The Star}- PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir (pic) voiced his disappointment over the mostly negative response towards the Government’s initiative for a new national car.

“I am told no one wants to see a second national car. It is enough that Proton is said to be a failure,” he wrote in a blog post on Monday (July 16).

“Malaysians prefer to buy imported cars, including those from China,” he wrote rather acerbically.

“Their choice is Japanese cars and those with a lot of money (choose) German cars.”

He said countries such as Japan and Korea discourage the import of foreign cars, and that is the reason behind their high-quality cars.

“I remember Japanese cars right after the war. The consumers said if we scratch it with our nail, we can see (it is made out of) Milo tin.

“However from that ‘Milo tin’ car comes a variety of the Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki models that we use now,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said he is not suggesting that the new national car project be spearheaded by the government as the private sector is already capable of designing and mass producing automobiles.

“However, because we have rejected the suggestion of a (new) national car, we have already closed off all suggestions for the private sector to produce motor cars,” he said.

He said foreign cars monopolised the car market in Malaysia to the point that Proton is “buried” and sold off to foreign entities.

“There is no more national car. No more automotive industry. The workers, engineers, managers don’t have jobs anymore.

He did not refer to Perodua, the second national car company.

“Malaysia would become a country of consumers, paddy field planters and fishermen.

“Forget about Vision 2020,” he said sardonically.

On June 11, Dr Mahathir had revealed at the 24th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia the Government’s plans to work on a new national car.

However, many Malaysians did not respond positively to the suggestion. When the story was posted on the official Facebook page of The Star Online, there were over 1,000 comments.

Many asked that the public transport system be improved instead, while some pointed out that we had to learn the lessons of Proton.

Institusi Agama Fitnah G25 & Shad Faruqi? Biar Betul!

Is this merely a very foolish mistake or is it another spiteful spin with the intention to detriment the good name of Islamic agencies?

In an article, “Religious radicalism on the rise” published by The Star on November 23, 2007, Emeritus Professor Shad Saleem Faruqi made another attack on JAKIM before focusing its attack on another Islamic agency, Institut Kajian Strategik Islam Malaysia (IKSIM).

To be fair, since the allegations were made based on “a booklet by the Malaysian Islamic Research Institute (IKSIM)”, I checked the said booklet to see what was written by IKSIM and I found the source of the chaos.

IKSIM’s words were wrongly translated from “Awas! Sekularisme, Liberalisme dan Pluralisme merupakan agenda penghakis akidah Islam dalam meruntuhkan kedaulatan Negara” to “secularism, liberalism and cultural diversity are elements that will undermine the Islamic agenda and destroy the country’s sovereignty”!

Armed with the wrong translation, Prof Shad who is also one of  the contributors to the infamous book by G25, ‘Breaking the Silence: Voices of Moderation‘ attacked IKSIM.

It is like putting words in one’s mouth in order to attack the victim:

  1. “Cultural diversity” has not been mentioned in the book by IKSIM.
  2. The English translation of the Bahasa Melayu word “pluralisme” is pluralism.
  3. “Pluralisme” in the above sentence obviously means religious pluralism as clearly explained in a chart on page 7 of the book.
  4. In Bahasa Melayu, “cultural diversity” is ‘kepelbagaian kebudayaan’.

I guess Prof Shad has not have the chance to read the book because it is almost impossible for a learned man like him to not be able to understand the thin, simple book, except, unfortunately the person does not understand Bahasa Melayu well.

Having said that, I really pity Prof Shad for being shocked and at the same time slandering others only because of his own mistake, “I am shocked to read that “cultural diversity” is seen by IKSIM as a threat to Islam and to our nation”.

Prof Shad also questioned, “although Malaysians can embrace other religious faiths, the country is not duty-bound to protect other religions”, claiming that, “The belief that we have no duty to protect other religions is both un-Islamic and un-Malaysian”.

I sincerely hope that Prof Shad is not trying to challenge the Oath of office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who is the Supreme Head of the Federation!

In taking the Oath of office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as set out in Part I of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, his Majesty declares, “……We do solemnly and truly declare that We shall at all time protect the Religion of Islam … “.

Hence, by law the Prime Minister, the ministers, the lawmakers and the government servants are bounded by his Majesty’s oath to protect the Religion of Islam as they are being tasked with the duty of administering the country on behalf of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

In the Court of Appeal judgement of Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur v. Kerajaan Malaysia & Menteri Dalam Negeri, where YA Dato’ Abdul Aziz Rahim stated:

“I would add however that the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation, to my mind imposes certain obligation on the power that be to promote and defend Islam as well to protect its sanctity. In one article written by Muhammad Imam, entitled Freedom of Religion under Federal Constitution of Malaysia – A Reappraisal [1994] 2 CLJ lvii (June) referred to by the learned counsel for the 8th appellant it was said that: “Article 3 is not a mere declaration. But it imposes positive obligation on the Federation to protect, defend, promote Islam and to give effect by appropriate state action, to the injunction of Islam and able to facilitate and encourage people to hold their life according to the Islamic injunction spiritual and daily life.”

However, even though “the country is not duty-bound to protect other religions” but Islam, Malaysia still guarantees “freedom of faith and conscience and cultural and legal autonomy to all religions and tribes” as long as it is not against the law of our country.

One of the main elements of a secular country is, the country is not duty-bound to protect any religion; so using the same argument, are we saying that secular countries do not guarantee “freedom of faith and conscience and cultural and legal autonomy to all religions and tribes”?

Next, Prof Shad said that the Islamic agency is challenging the supremacy of the Federal Constitution by saying that Islam has a higher position than the Federal Constitution itself.

The provision on Islam as the religion of the Federation was inserted in the Part 1 of the Constitution, that is in Article 3(1) which indicates the importance of the provision in the Constitutional structure; whereas the supremacy of the Federal Constitution is positioned after the provision on Islam, which is in Article 4.

Tan Sri Apandi Ali in the high profile case of Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur v. Kerajaan Malaysia & Menteri Dalam Negeri stated that:

“The Article places the religion of Islam at par with the other basic structures of the Constitution, as it is the 3 rd in the order of precedence of the Articles that were within the confines of Part I of the Constitution”

In fact Article 3(4) which says that “nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution” has further accentuate the matter.

 Prof Shad words, “According to it, religious enforcement authorities come under the patronage of the Sultans, not state governments. This is a remarkable vision of an autonomous, almost all-powerful, religious elite that is like a state within a state”, for me is uncalled for because it questions the rights of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam which is protected by the Article 181.

Section 3(1)(f) of the Sedition Act says, “A “seditious tendency” is a tendency to question any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III of the Federal Constitution or Article 152, 153 or 181 of the Federal Constitution”.

It was also reported that the false allegations by Prof Shad had led IKSIM to lodge a police report against him, The Star and Sin Chew Daily; which was responded by G25’s Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin as reported in Free Malaysia Today (FMT) under the title, “G25 calls for action against Putrajaya-linked institute”.

The G25 member went further saying, “Iksim had singled out Amanah, G25, Sisters in Islam (SIS) and Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) as liberals”.

She said, “If they (Iksim) can lodge a police report against Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi, similarly I am in a very good position to make a police report against them and sue them for defamation”.

This is the part where it gets very hilarious; G25, in another article, “G25: The word “liberal” has place of pride in Rukun Negara” argues that liberal is something positive so why is the fuss over the word now?

“Note that the word “liberal” is used in both versions in the context of something positive and beneficial to our ambitions to become a united, happy and prosperous country.” – G25 (FMT)

In her speech, “Malaysia as a Secular State”, The Malaysian Insight (TMI) reported G25’s Noor Farida as saying that Malaysia is neither a theocracy states nor secular state!

But I have to highlight that G25 also claimed that Malaysia is a secular state and at other time a secular democratic state!

It is very hard either to try to make sense of what they are trying to say or to take G25’s words seriously when its members keep on changing their minds and seems very confused, for example on their perception regarding the ideology of Malaysia.

To top it all, in its eagerness, FMT made a grave mistake in its reporting: 

  1. Iksim was established on Dec 9, 2014 after consent from the Conference of Rulers, with the objective of upholding Islam as the country’s official religion.
  2. According to its official website, Iksim was established to fulfil the wishes of the country’s Muslim community to defend the Malay Rulers and uphold Islam as the official religion of the federation.

IKSIM clearly states that Islam is the religion of the Federation hence not only FMT’s wrong reporting defames IKSIM, but also the Constitution itself since the addition of the word “official” undermines the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation.

Taking G25’s Noor Farida Ariffin’s advice, IKSIM should “lodge a police report or even take legal action” against FMT for defaming both IKSIM and Article 3(1) of the Constitution.

Rather than confusing others, G25’s Datuk Noor Farida should walk the talk by making a police report against IKSIM to settle the matter once and for all and to prove that she and her friends from G25 are not the ones who are really confused not only about the truth but also in making their own opinions and views.

Please be reminded that, causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing on grounds of religion” is an offence under Section 298 of the Penal Code. 

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Memperkenalkan Kebebasan Media Dan Bersuara à la PKR

Dua hari lepas, kerajaan negeri Selangor dibawah pimpinan Datuk Seri Azmin Ali memberi arahan kepada semua jabatan, agensi, dan anak syarikat kerajaan negeri Selangor untuk berhenti melanggan akhbar kumpulan Utusan dan Berita Harian.

Ini adalah sebuah berita yang agak menarik bagi saya, kerana selama ini pembangkanglah yang kononnya memperjuangkan hak kebebasan bersuara dan kebebasan media.

Menggunakan alasan kebebasan bersuara adalah satu hak yang diperuntukkan di dalam Perkara 10 Perlembagaan Persekutuan, mereka mahu media mereka diberi kebebasan berkata apa sahaja, walaupun perkara itu satu fitnah atau perkara itu boleh menggugat keselamatan negara.

Tetapi apabila Utusan dan Berita Harian tidak mengikut telunjuk mereka, boleh pula kerajaan PKR mengarahkan jabatan, agensi dan anak syarikat negeri Selangor berhenti melanggan akhbar-akhbar tersebut.

Jadi, di manakah kebebasan media dan kebebasab bersuara yang mereka perjuangkan selama ini?

Kita boleh lihat betapa tidak adilnya dan tidak beretikanya kerajaan pembangkang ini yang jelas mengamalkan sikap ‘double standard’.

‘Cakap tak serupa bikin’, nampaknya kebebasan bersuara hanyalah untuk mereka sahaja dan bukannya untuk semua orang.

Malah, akhbar Utusan Online melaporkan, “Ketua Penerangan UMNO, Tan Sri Annuar Musa berkata, tindakan itu menunjukkan Mohamed Azmin hanya hebat dalam mengharamkan akhbar Melayu, tetapi menikus dalam mengharamkan pesta arak dan penolakan usul memperkasa mahkamah syariah di negeri itu.”

Maka mungkin benarlah dakwaan bahawa Selangor Kini, Sinar Harian dan The Star adalah suara yang menyokong pembangkang!

Apa kata Bersih, COMANGO, C4 dan semua NGO yang selama ini memperjuangkan kebebasan bersuara dan kebebasan akhbar?

Sila tekan imej untuk memperbesarkan gambar:

Gambar: Banjir Besar Melanda Pulau Pinang

Sebuah projek perumahan mewah di lereng bukit, Beverly Hills, di Tanjung Bungah di sini terjejas teruk dengan sebahagian binaannya runtuh akibat hujan lebat malam tadi. Nov. 5, 2017. Gambar The Star.

Hujan lebat dan angin kencang telah melanda Pulau Pinang semalam menyebabkan banjir, pokok tumbang dan tanah runtuh  di Georgetown dan Seberang Perai.

Keadaan bertambah buruk akibat peningkatan paras air di sungai utama di negeri itu seperti Sungai Pinang, Sungai Air Itam dan Sungai Dondang mencecah paras bahaya dengan masing-masing mencecah 2.83 meter, 6.58 meter dan 21.88 meter..

Menurut Berita Harian, di Georgetown, antara kawasan terjejas termasuk Kampung Masjid, Jalan P Ramlee, Sungai Pinang, Jalan Kebun Lama, Lebuh Carnovan, Jalan Anson dan Halaman Bukit Gambir.

Manakala antara kawasan terjejas di Seberang Perai ialah Taman Siakap, Permatang Rawa, Taman Senangin, Padang Lalang, Mak Mandin dan beberapa kawasan di Penanti.

Utusan Online melaporkan beberapa buah bot dan sampan nelayan di Teluk Bahang di sini dilaporkan rosak dan terdampar di daratan selepas ditolak ribut serta angin kencang dalam kejadian awal pagi tadi.

Sebuah feri milik Penang Port Sdn. Bhd. (Penang Port) turut dilaporkan rosak selepas ditolak ombak kuat dan melanggar bahagian jeti di Terminal Feri Raja Tun Uda, Butterworth di sini.

Pada 21 Oktober 2017, tragedi tanah runtuh di tapak pembinaan di Lengkok Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah telah mengorbankan 11 orang pekerja.

Sila tekan imej untuk memperbesarkan gambar:

Empat Wakil The Star Ke KDN

Muka depan The Star pada hari Sabtu, 27 Mei 2017. Gambar diambil daripada Utusan Online.

[Utusan Online}- PUTRAJAYA 29 Mei- Empat wakil akhbar berbahasa Inggeris, The Star dilihat memasuki Kementerian Dalam Negeri pada pukul 10.50 pagi bagi memberi keterangan berhubung laporan muka depannya pada Sabtu lalu yang didakwa tidak sensitif kepada umat Islam di negara ini.

Empat wakil itu ialah tiga Pengarang Eksekutif The Star, Rozaid Abdul Rahman, Brian Martin dan N. Dorairaj serta Pengarang Pakar The Star, M.Shanmugam.

Terdahulu semalam, Ketua Setiausaha kementerian, Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim dalam kenyataannya memaklumkan kementerian tersebut akan memanggil Ketua Pengarang akhbar berbahasa Inggeris itu yang didakwa tidak sensitif kepada umat Islam di negara ini.

Alwi berkata, pihaknya kecewa terhadap tindakan akhbar tersebut yang memaparkan gambar umat Islam sedang menunaikan solat terawih pada malam pertama Ramadan dengan tajuk muka depannya ‘Malaysia Terrosist Leader’.

Tun Musa Hitam Proud To Be A Liberal, What A Pity

Tun Musa Hitam

Always a moderate and proud to be one – said Former Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Musa Hitam to The Star in an interview at his house in Bukit Tunku.

“First let me say this emphatically and very firmly – I have always been a liberal and a moderate and am proud of it. I have been brought up from young until now as such. My family, my parents, my elders brought me up that way, and in my more grown up days since I entered politics, my political party Umno adopted the stance of moderation from the early days that we gained Independence. But I don’t know what’s happening there now,” Tun Musa Hitam. – The Star

“I have always been a liberal and a moderate and am proud of it”?

I do not understand how could a Muslim be proud to disobey the rules of Islam.

It is very sad when a person says that he is proud to be a moderate and a liberal because being a liberal  means that the person rejects the fundamental principal of his own religion as well as the fundamental principals of his country.

As a Muslim, he must understand that a Muslim must obey the fundamental principal of Islam and Islam cannot be liberalised.

It is very unfortunate for a Muslim to be a liberal because rejecting the principal of Islam is against the rules of Islam and will affect his ‘akidah’.

Has Tun Musa Hitam forgotten that Clause 3.3 of the Umno Constitution states that Umno will defend and spread Islam?

And liberal is against Islam.

It is very sad to see a former leader who not only had forgotten the core spirit of his party but also proud to reject the fundamental principals of his country, for Islam is the religion of the Federation of Malaysia.

Photos, Video: Tornado-Like Wind Hit Pandamaran, Klang

A screengrab from a viral video of the "twister" in Klang. (The Star)
A screengrab from a viral video of the “twister” in Klang. (The Star)

NST reported that a severe thunderstorm and strong wind wreaked havoc in Pandamaran, damaging some 30 houses and apartment blocks.

A twister-like winds blew off roofs and uprooting trees around the area.

The thunderstorm also caused several boats at a jetty near Kunci Air Jalan Banting, Pandamaran to sink.

Several areas including Meru and Kampung Delek were flooded.

Please click the photos for larger images:

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